Marc Oberhäuser, our friend and long-time member of the retro gaming scene, has launched a Kickstarter project to raise funding for his new book, Games for Atari: 1977 to 1995. Marc is a German video game designer and has been an avid Atari video game collector for more than 20 years.

"Games for Atari: 1977 to 1995" celebrates games for the legendary Atari 8-bit video game and computer systems:

"In its core this book is an art book, focusing on the in-game graphics, the real screenshots. You have fond memories on the early days of the interactive entertainment, the evolution and its revolution? You have played Pong at home on some clone system? You have had one of the most famous game consoles from Atari, Mattel and Coleco under the Christmas tree? Then this book is for you.

Speaking with a veteran gamer about his first game system, he most likely remembers the look of the games and says something like “Dear Lord, they looked terrible!” before going deeper into a game and talking about how innovative or good (or bad) the gameplay was. Next in the conversation you might hear quotes like “What was the name of that game again? You know the one where the knight was just a square and the dragons looked like ducks."

And that’s the point of this book. It awakes (hopefully) fond memories of times long gone, of the Atari age, when the Californian company ruled the video game world. Browse through the book and linger over games you played. And the next time your friends coming around you can pick up the book and share anecdotes and episodes about Atari and its games."

Book Content:

5 Classic Atari Game Systems

502 Games covered

704 Pages strong

1,150 Screenshots/Pixel Art

Please visit the project's Kickstarter campaign to learn more about the book, view various sample pages, and make a pledge. You can discuss the book with Marc Oberhäuser in the AtariAge Forums.

If you'll be in the Pittsburgh area at the end of the month, be sure to check out ReplayFX, taking place July 27-30, 2017 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center! We've heard great things about this event from others who have attended in previous years. Here's more information straight from ReplayFX.org:

The ReplayFX Arcade & Video Game Festival will feature the largest public collection of working pinball, arcade, tabletop, and console games anywhere in the solar system, and all games are free to play with the price of admission! Attendees are also invited to attend a series of seminars dedicated to gaming and its associated tech-culture, browse merchandise in the marketplace, watch the world’s greatest pinball wizards compete in the Pinburgh Match-Play Championship, or enjoy a series of fun and wacky daily challenges at no additional cost!

ReplayFX will include multiple live music performances, a high-energy cosplay contest, inflatable obstacle courses, and more in a show floor packed with over 200,000 square feet of entertainment! Over $110,000 will be at stake for the competitive player. Thousands of games will be available for the casual fan. A family-friendly atmosphere will be available for the kids, and no one has to leave the galaxy to attend!

Golf Digest's Jeff Vrabel makes the argument that to this day, "Atari 2600 Golf remains the finest sport video game simulation". Through humor, the author describes the graphics, gameboard, gameplay, and difficulty of the original 1980 Atari 2600 Golf. Here's a video review of Atari 2600 Golf if you need a quick refresher in case you've forgotten how wonderful this game is. What games have made a similar impression to you after all these years? Join the discussion in our Atari 2600 Forum.

It's that time again, the weather is hotter, the days are longer, and the Atari 2600 is begging for attention. AtariAge user toilettunes has organized the 3rd Annual AtariAge Activision Patches Summer Quest. Through Labor Day (Monday, September 4th) you can compete with other AtariAge members to see who can qualify for the most Activision patches by playing Activision's library of Atari 2600 games! Back in the day, Activision would send you a physical patches if you achieved high scores in their games. Contestants were instructed to photograph their TV displaying the high score, mail it in, and Activision would send back a patch. You can view our Activision Patch Gallery to see all the patches and the scores needed to win them. To join in the fun, please visit the 2017 Activision Summer Patch Quest thread in our forums. Good luck!

AtGames has announced their fall lineup of Flashback consoles and portables, further expanding on their offerings for fans of the Atari 2600 and Sega Genesis. These new products include several Atari Flashback consoles, an updated Atari Flashback Portable, a new Genesis Flashback styled after the classic Sega Genesis console, and an updated Genesis portable.
Here's a brief description of the AtGames Fall 2017 lineup:

The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold features 120 built-in all-time favorites. Games include legends like Activision's Pitfall! and Taito's Space Invaders, as well as many other all-time Atari 2600 classics like Kaboom!, River Raid, Centipede, and Millipede. Two all new, high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks or paddles. Other all new features for the Atari Flashback® 8 Gold include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.

The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition features 130 built-in games, including 39 Activision classics. These games include legends like Activision’s Pitfall!, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, and Taito’s Space Invaders, as well as many other all-time Atari 2600 classics like Centipede™, Chopper Command™, Enduro™, and River Raid™. Two high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks. Other features for the Activision Edition include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.

The Atari Flashback® 8 Classic Game Console returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 105 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include Activision legends like Pitfall!, Kaboom!, and River Raid. Two wired controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired joysticks or paddles.

The Atari Flashback® Portable Game Player features an amazing selection of 70 built-in games, including the legendary BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment arcade hit, PAC-MAN. Other blockbuster games include Dig Dug, Pitfall!, and Frogger, and you can even add your own games with an optional SD card. A built-in, rechargeable battery, means the on-the-go fun never has to end. Games can be played on the portable's built-in, high resolution 2.8" display, or on a TV via optional cable.

The all-new Sega Genesis Flashback has a stunning new design, reminiscent of the original console, and features 85 built-in games as well as an integrated cartridge port that plays almost all of your favorite Sega Genesis and Mega Drive original cartridges. Built-in all-time favorites include the Sonic series, Mortal Kombat series, Phantasy Star series, and Shining Force series games. Two new high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Sega Genesis originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired gamepads. Other new features for the Sega Genesis Flashback include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.

The Classic Game Console returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 81 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include role-playing and strategy legends, Shining Force, Shining Force II, and Shining in the Darkness. Two wired controllers, styled after the Sega Genesis originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired controllers.

The Ultimate Portable Game Player returns with an enhanced selection of 85 built-in 16-bit Sega Genesis and Mega Drive classic games. The selection of blockbuster games include new additions PAC-PANIC and Splatterhouse 2, as well as many more surprises. You can even add your own games with an optional SD card! Returning for 2017 is save game support for the included Phantasy Star series role-playing games. A built-in, rechargeable battery, means the on-the-go fun never has to end. Games can be played on the portable's built-in, high resolution 2.8" display, or on a TV via optional cable.

These products are expected to hit retail shelves in the fall of 2017. We've posted additional photos of the new consoles and boxes in our AtGames Flashback and Portable Consoles forum, where you can also discuss all these new consoles with other AtariAge visitors.

Microsoft researchers in Canada have built an Artificial Intelligence program capable of reaching (and eclipsing) the maximum score of 999,990 in the Atari 2600 version of Ms. Pac-Man. According to Wired Magazine, "Ms. Pac-Man has been targeted by artificial intelligence researchers for years, but no player, human or otherwise, has ever scored so big." This milestone was accomplished by breaking the game down into smaller pieces utilizing more than 150 "bots" working in tandem to decide where best to move Ms. Pac-Man, similar to how the human brain works. The research is expected to translate into other AI fields such as natural language processing. The video below gives you a glimpse into the AI as it chews through the mazes.

Keith Robinson, the leader of the game development team at Mattel Electronics who purchased the rights to the Intellivision and resurrected the game console in the late 1980s, died from kidney failure Wednesday. Keith remained dedicated to the Intellivison brand throughout the 1990s and beyond, keeping the flame alive by releasing Intellivision Lives! for contemporary consoles and the Intellivision Flashback, a plug and play console featuring many of the original system's best games.

Keith was also a prolific artist... his weekly comic strip Making It debuted in 1985, and continued publication for over thirty years. The series was adapted into a video game for the Sega Genesis, Normy's Beach Babe-O-Rama. Fittingly, it was designed by Realtime Associates, a team originally hired to make Intellivision software in the 1980s!

Keith Robinson was a fixture at classic game conventions, fondly remembered for his larger than life personality and tireless enthusiasm for the Intellivision. He'll be deeply missed, not only as a founding father of the video game industry, but for his continued contributions to gaming long after the Intellivision faded into history. For those interested, Keith's life and accomplishments were examined in greater detail in an obituary on The Retroist.

Engadget reports that Hyperkin, the designers of the Super NES-compatible Supaboy handheld and a variety of retro consoles, will soon be releasing its own clone of the Atari 2600. This system, fittingly titled the RetroN 77, uses actual 2600 cartridges and joysticks, but has the 21st century perk of an HDMI port, ensuring a sharp picture and full compatibility with modern television sets. And if you don't want to use original Atari joysticks, USB controllers are also an option. The RetroN 77 will retail for $80, and should be available by the end of 2017, just in time for the Atari 2600's 40th anniversary. Special thanks to Tiny Cartridge for the scoop.

The Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo 2017 (SFGE) will be open for business at 4:00pm on Friday, June 9, and continues through Sunday, June 11, at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel! The Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo features more than 250 arcade, pinball and console machines, the fourth annual Southern-Fried Pinball Tournament, tabletop gaming, a vendor expo, exciting programs and guest speakers, movie screenings, and so much more. SFGE is a family-friendly event that will be fun for all ages. Guest speakers include Billy Mitchell, Roger Sharpe, Ben Heck, Walter Day, and David Crane, the man who wrote Pitfall for the 2600 and co-founded Activision, the world's first third party software publisher. Learn more by visiting the official Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo website!